as in monarchs
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority
the aging ruler agonized over the choice of an heir
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Recent Examples of rulers
Woody and Buzz have survived sadistic neighbors, evil toys and tyrannical daycare rulers.
—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
Jones said Shiite rulers in several South Asian kingdoms sponsored processions and other commemorations of Hussein’s martyrdom, helping turn them into public events that drew wider audiences.
—
ABC News,
25 June 2026
In the fifth century CE, the western half of the Roman Empire disintegrated into a patchwork of new kingdoms and new rulers.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
Democracies are composed of citizens with free will, not subjects cowering at the feet of rulers.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
For virtually all of human history, people were subjects of kings or rulers who claimed divine and unquestioned power.
—
Carmine Gallo,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI’s president-elect, used her remarks at the conference to argue that neither war nor negotiations had solved the threat posed by Tehran’s rulers.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
Netanyahu, on the other hand, has never supported a political agreement with Iran's theocratic rulers.
—
Frank Andrews,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
The vote underscores the staying power of Africa’s aging leaders on a continent that has some of the world’s oldest rulers despite boasting the youngest population globally.
—
Farai Mutsaka,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
Jones said Shiite rulers in several South Asian kingdoms sponsored processions and other commemorations of Hussein’s martyrdom, helping turn them into public events that drew wider audiences.
—
ABC News,
25 June 2026
In the fifth century CE, the western half of the Roman Empire disintegrated into a patchwork of new kingdoms and new rulers.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
Democracies are composed of citizens with free will, not subjects cowering at the feet of rulers.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
For virtually all of human history, people were subjects of kings or rulers who claimed divine and unquestioned power.
—
Carmine Gallo,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Maryam Rajavi, the NCRI’s president-elect, used her remarks at the conference to argue that neither war nor negotiations had solved the threat posed by Tehran’s rulers.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
Netanyahu, on the other hand, has never supported a political agreement with Iran's theocratic rulers.
—
Frank Andrews,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
The vote underscores the staying power of Africa’s aging leaders on a continent that has some of the world’s oldest rulers despite boasting the youngest population globally.
—
Farai Mutsaka,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rulers
Noun
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With this decision, the king bucks 189 years of tradition, as monarchs have lived in the palace since 1837, when Queen Victoria began her reign.
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How long have British monarchs lived at Buckingham Palace?
Noun
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The bell’s pyramidal face is decorated with depictions of deceased kings and queens, and its toll was believed to invoke ancestral spirits.
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Little is yet known about the jewelry and its significance, but Gordon believes that the jewelry was once worn by the kings and queens of an ancient Khmer Empire that spanned Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, and existed for hundreds of years.
Noun
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These new rulers were keen to sell themselves as legitimate successors to the emperors, and there was considerable continuity during this turbulent period.
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The second film stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, the son of Maximus, who returns to Rome as a prisoner and is trained to be a gladiator for Macrinus, a former slave played by Denzel Washington, who has plans to overthrow the twin emperors.
Noun
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But a series of 15th century directives from the Vatican authorized Portuguese sovereigns to conquer Africa and the Americas and enslave non-Christians.
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Encouraged and frightened by the events at Naples, other sovereigns granted constitutions.
Cite this Entry
“Rulers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rulers. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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